Fuel: gas or petrol?

[Symbol]

In different parts of the English-speaking world the same basic vehicle fuel is called gas (from gasoline) and petrol (from petroleum).

Which term is technically more accurate?

[H'ethetheth]

Yes.

[catsmate1]

I would say 'petrol' (as indeed I do) as 'gas' could refer to any substance in that state.
Shades of aluminium/aluminum........1



1 Though of course 'aluminium' is the correct spelling.

[Jack by the hedge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology_and_terminology

I love the idea that petroleum was registered as a trade name by a guy called "Carless". :D

[OnlyTellsTruths]

I would say 'petrol' (as indeed I do) as 'gas' could refer to any substance in that state.
Shades of aluminium/aluminum........1



1 Though of course 'aluminium' is the correct spelling.

If the OP was talking about the nickname for gasoline and not the full name it wouldn't make much sense. Also, your reasoning that petrol is more accurate because "'gas' could refer to any substance in that state" doesn't apply.

Actually it turns out it is really a combination of both, if we look at the gasoline wiki entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline

...we see that the comparison(s) itself is incorrect. The correct comparison is between "gasoline" and "petrol":

Gasoline, or petrol, is a transparent petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines.

...and the answer to that is clearly that they both are correct.

"Petroleum" on the other hand refers to "crude oil". Here is the petroleum wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum


In summary:

gas (nickname) - gasoline (auto fuel)
petrol (auto fuel) - petroleum (crude oil)

So clearly gasoline and petrol are correct terms for the auto fuel. While the US shortens the longer of the two terms to a nickname.

ETA: I see from Jack's link that "gasoline" has always meant auto fuel and that "petrol" was just a shortened name for petroleum (crude oil) for hundreds of years. Only in the late 1800s did "petrol" refer to the refined fuel and not crude.